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The Stands of Al Keppler

For years I suffered trying to find suitable stands for the proper display of bonsai. Stands were either too small, too large or had a raised border that made the top of the table nearly useless except for the exact shape pot needed to fill the recessed area. Out of necessity I found it challenging to experiment in building tables for display. Building tables that are complimentary to the tree and pot is an art unto itself. I have found the practice to be very therapeutic and enjoy the creativity whenever possible. Due to the extreme heat of the central valley California, I restrict by table building efforts to spring winter and fall. It is my hope that future articles about bonsai display and books about bonsai display will spend more time about the complex marriage of tree/pot and stand. This marriage cannot and should not be ignored. The stand has always been a very intricate part of the display and it is time that we started treating the stand as part of the image rather than a costly accessory.